Cavalier King Charles, convert me General Chat

I will admit I am a "big dog" person. I consider Amberella, who has turned out not to be part German Shep at all (the trouble of taking a rescue pup), to be the smallest I can cope with - she's about nineteen inches to the shoulder.

My OH, on the other hand, grew up with a Cavalier King Charles, and loves the breed. We have talked (vaguely) about getting another dog sometime, and a larger dog than 'Ella is probably out of the question as our planned house move isn't going to happen anymore, so space is going to be an issue to consider when chosing a breed. I have decided (in the spirit of co-operation) to find out a bit more about the breed, and see if I can be converted I am intending to have a dig through the CKC posts when I have a spare half hour, but I wondered if owners could please post the best parts of living with a Cavalier King Charles, and the benefits of having a little dog over a larger one... go on, convert me!

hi sez, I've only had my cav for 2 months, but we decided on the breed because we live in a flat and spaniels are so well natured. We attend a puppy class and on our first night we came away feeling glad we had a spaniel! He was so well behaved compared to the other dogs, didn't bark or pee in the church hall and happily played with the other cavalier at the class.

He's been really easy to toilet train but it'll take a bit longer for 'stay'! He follows everyone around the flat and has no fear, running up to all sizes of dog to say hello in the park.

And cos they are small, they can sit on your knee!! the best part.. they are true 'lap' dogs, though Otis is getting more independent, so he isn't interested in sitting on his mum's knee as much, he'd rather be outside playing with snails!

We were converted within 2 weeks, and are already planning on getting another one, just not yet! One puppy in the house is quite enough, he's developed a fascination with the gas effect fire this week!!

I'm sure others will be able to say it better! x

Not too sure where to start without bombarding you with information as I have plenty ;-)

Had 11 wonderful years with Simba, my blenheim before he went to the bridge.

Then we got Harvey and soon after we had Archie come to join us. They are both the most content happy little dogs.

Easy to train and are very receptive, love all forms of exercise. Enjoy swimming, agility, as much or as little exercise as they can get.

Diet, best to find a good food such as Burns and stick to it, with the addition of fish, eggs, and veg.

Non destructive, non aggressive, and their only demands are to be cuddled.

Anymore info and I would love to give it to you x

I got my frist cavalier in 1976 then i got another cavalier about two months later we done some breeding then about a year later we got another cavalier so we had 3 in all they love company of other dogsand people but also they are very good if you have to leave them for a while.In all i have had 7 cavalier i still have 2 now and they live with a springer and get on great.I just love the breed i could,nt say anything bad about them they are fun dogs to have liveing with you.

Cavaliers are wonderful little dogs, i love mine to bits.

Edited to point out that I was writing this as an American. Some of the things I wrote don't really apply to England--such as people just starting to recognize the breed.



Hope this doesn't overwhelm you but I can't say enough about picking the right breed for you so I want you to have all the information I can give you.
My husband and I literally researched for several years before deciding on a breed. We decided on a Cavalier and have never regretted it. We have a 4 yr old tricolor and an 18 month old blenheim. Cavaliers are extremely adaptable dogs. They will do just as well in an apartment as they will on a farm. One thing to keep in mind is that, if you live in an apartment, Cavaliers can be sucessfully trained to use a litter box. They love to go on walks but are equally happy curled up on the couch. While they are most happy when they are with their people, mine behave very well when left at home while we are at work or just out and about. If you don't like to have a dog follow you around then a Cavalier is not for you as they will go anywhere you go. Cavliers are spaniels therefore they like to chase things whether it be a ball, a squirrel, etc...so you really need a fenced yard. My girls were very easy to house break and both have had basic training on a lead. They never meet a stranger and love other animals. Cavaliers are one of the few dogs who think that cats are supposed to be their playmates. Cavaliers also do equally well with children and elderly folks. I'm a preschool teacher and I have taken my girls to the center to teach about safety when meeting dogs. On the flip side, my parents are around 80 years old and my dogs love to go see their grandparents. Cavaliers are one of the top breeds for their ability to live with children and are one of the top ranked breeds for intelligence.
As for a small breed, the Cavalier is the largest toy breed in the US. A healthy adult female is usually around 15 to 16 pounds and male around 17 to 18 pounds although there can be fluctuation on either side of those weights. Cavalier girls who are "fixed" tend to be a little larger as they experience weight gain after their surgery. Gracie fluctuates between 17.5 and 18 pounds since her surgery. They're pretty sturdy little dogs and love to retrieve balls. While mine won't jump to catch a frisbee, they will bring it back after lands. In other words, you can play with them much like you can a larger dog.
The only down side to Cavaliers is that you will have to put up with shedding. One thing to note though is that once a Cavalier is spade or neutered their shedding substantially decreases. The other thing to keep in mind is that, as with any breed, there are certain health concerns. You will need to have your vet listen to your Cavalier's heart periodically so as to check for Mitral Valve Disease which is a heart murmur. Most Cavaliers usually develop this but as long as it is caught early on it can be treated and should not effect the life span of your pet.
While I'm not ruling out other breeds, I have a feeling I will always have atleast one Cavalier in my home. I promise that they pour out 1000 times more love and loyalty than a human ever could.
Oh, one last thing, if you go out with your Cavalier be prepared to be stopped. They are people magnets. They aren't a breed you see everyday but, thanks to Underdog's girlfriend Polly Purebred and Elizabeth Taylor on Sex and the City, more people are recognizing them. And you might as well get used to saying, "Actually, no, this is not a puppy Cocker."
Hope this helps!
Lu

ps
You mentioned that you have a rescue dog. If this is something that interests you then you can sign up with the breed club to be considered for a rescue dog. With the growing number of puppy mills out there the need for people intrested in rescue is growing all the time.

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to reply

After much thought, we decided on another rescue lurcher and ended up with the lovely Roux but I have promised my OH that we can reconsider on a CKCS in the future.